Left-wing political outsider wins Democratic Senate primary in Michigan

What the report says

Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing former public health official and son of Egyptian immigrants, is projected to win the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, according to BBC World News citing CBS News. The result marks a defeat for moderate four-term Representative Haley Stevens in a contest that highlighted divisions over the party’s future direction. If El-Sayed goes on to win the general election in November, he would become the first Muslim U.S. senator.

The BBC reported that El-Sayed campaigned on progressive positions including universal healthcare, ending U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and cutting unconditional military aid to Israel. He was backed by prominent left-wing figures such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Stevens, by contrast, presented herself as a centrist focused on protecting manufacturing jobs in Michigan and received support from Governor Gretchen Whitmer and outgoing Senator Gary Peters.

The Michigan Senate seat is open because the incumbent Democrat is retiring. The primary comes as Democrats and Republicans prepare for November’s midterm elections, which will help determine control of Washington during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. The general election is expected to pit El-Sayed against Republican Mike Rogers, a Trump ally, in a state that remains politically competitive despite its recent Democratic and Republican swings in presidential contests.